Redefining “Parent” is Sure to Come (July 22, 2015)

When the Supreme Court ruled on same-sex “marriage,” it didn’t just change the definition of marriage. It may have also forced us to redefine the word “parent.”

Who qualifies as a “parent” under various state laws is very important when, for example, a teacher, physician, or government official like a social worker or Juvenile Court Judge is dealing with a child.

In the past, the law of parentage presumed that a married man was the father of the child his wife bore. But what if one woman in the lesbian “marriage” gets impregnated through sperm donation? Should the courts just assume that the other spouse is also a parent?

As Tennessee’s courts address these issues, let’s hope they don’t just concede the reinterpretation of every statute premised upon the truth that real marriage is one man and one woman.